{"id":2395,"date":"2024-05-30T16:04:36","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T15:04:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ninetoalive.co.uk\/?p=2395"},"modified":"2024-05-30T17:11:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T16:11:43","slug":"hitting-the-gravel-and-exploring-endurance-with-cyclist-simon-telford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/ninetoalive\/2024\/05\/30\/hitting-the-gravel-and-exploring-endurance-with-cyclist-simon-telford\/","title":{"rendered":"Hitting the gravel and exploring endurance with cyclist Simon Telford"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Road cycling may still reign supreme, but two forms of the sport that began \u2018underground\u2019 have taken over and Simon Telford certainly has some tales from the track.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Dirty Reiver<\/a> to the Frontier 300<\/a>, events for gravel and endurance cycling have begun to appear nationwide; supplying a higher demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Simon Telford, an ex-road racer and Great British athlete turned cycling fanatic residing in the North East.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He now prioritises gravel and endurance style riding, joining the boom in recent years.\u00a0Highlighting its accessibility and community spirit.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve had stressful periods at work and you, just, you get out and you can switch off, particularly when you’re on the gravel bikes. I think the adventure side of gravel racing is what would appeal to most people. The atmosphere is fantastic, there’s a sense of camaraderie. You’ve got people of all different abilities who’ll be having highs and lows in the same event,\u201d Simon told Nine To Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEndurance rides are full of great spirit. It’s far less brutal than a road race used to be\u00a0 know if you were, if you were an alien watching a road race, you can tell straight away because the leader is the leader. In endurance we\u2019ve all got our own goa and time to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His preference for off-road was not always the case, as his road cycling career began at the age of 12; with his dad getting him into the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He joined the \u2018big club scene\u2019 at the time and progressed to competing at a national and international level; with his first being Ridley Cycling Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Big moments\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During his youth, Simon raced with and against seasoned professionals, and represented Great Britain in Belgium\u2019s Tour Of Hainault <\/a>race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also competed and won a number of races for the North East Racing club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Riding the Tour Du Hainault for Great Britain, 1992<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
1st place in the Cramlington Road Race for North East Racing, 1993.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately his career was stopped in its tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cRacing frequently and dealing with tonsillitis all the time finished me off eventually. I was putting a lot of money into it and 500 miles a week in training runs you down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was not the last time Simon would step onto the bike. He would return 25 years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why did he shift to gravel and endurance<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After an amateur football career with countless hours of golf and a few half marathons and settling down with his family he was still missing that cycling fix that had formed a huge part of his childhood. On his 50th birthday, Simon and his mates came back together for a riding reunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe came back for a point to point, as they call them, from Inverness down to Glasgow. It’s a famous route called the Badger Divide.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They came back to do the same a year later. This became the catalyst, falling back in love with cycling, Simon swapped the road for the beaten track.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Dirty Reivers later, and he is still going strong and keeping fit. He manages to train during his downtime before and after work and is lucky enough to get a spot most years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Dirty Reiver sells out in seconds. It’s sold out. It’s got 2000 participants in it, all sorts of people, all sorts of abilities,” Simon said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo train for events like that I do about 14, 15 hours on the bike a week, around 200 miles. I tend to go out early in the mornings and supplement that with gym workouts like the cross-trainer.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, his rides are not always straightforward. During his many endurance and gravel events he and his mates have faced life-threatening circumstances.  He spoke about a difficult moment during the Badger Divide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/strong>One of my mates didn’t take the right kit and it cost him. It was a September date and it’s 12 degrees. Once we got up to two and a half thousand feet it started snowing. I did warn him that he needed to be equipped, you’ve got to have good waterproofing and he didn’t. As we got higher he started getting the first signs of hypothermia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were at the most remote point, there’s no one coming for you. It started getting dark and we’d definitely underestimated it having been a bit pissed the night before.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat didn’t help Mike, he started really suffering. I had to lend him a jacket and dress, get him as warm as I possibly could.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately they had to bail on this Badger Divide attempt, as making sure everyone’s back in one piece took priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"This
Dirty Reiver, 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"gravel
The summit of the Corrieyairack pass on the Badger Divide.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has also had problems during training as the roads and gravel always has the potential to be unpredictable. This time it was not his mate that felt the brunt of an accident\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon said: \u201cI was far into a gravel track when I saw a guy walking his dog but I couldn\u2019t see the lead. I’m pinging the bell but he has his earphones on so he couldn\u2019t hear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite slowing down, Simon was still going at a pace up the track. This led to a head-on collision with the lead taking the walker and the canine out in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn’t defend myself much because I was wrapped up in a leash in a heap on the floor. When I eventually pulled myself up I realised my bike was wrecked,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was a bit concussed. I asked \u2018is the dog alright? It came catapulting out right about 20 feet high and landed down the track\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dog did survive and left in one piece. Unusually, however, due the remoteness of the track he and the dog walker had to head up the same path leading to an awkward route home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was sort of walking along with him with and my knackered bike. I kept saying is the dog definitely alright? And he says \u2018I don’t know\u2019. He says \u2018she looks a bit shook up, look at her tail she doesn’t look happy\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought fucking hell, she’s did not look happy. I think I was pretty concussed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lucky escape for the pooch but not for Simon\u2019s bike, an expensive piece of kit. He identified cost as one of the main barriers for aspiring cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe price is one of the barriers to entry now. For  your average kids, kit is far too expensive. A \u00a31,000 s a lot of money for any bike,\u201d he told Nine To Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere’s the ladder to entry? If you’ve got three kids and the average kid’s mountain bike’s \u00a3600; it’s a lot of money for families to get into cycling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid the expenses, or an awkward run in with a dog walker, read our endurance and gravel guide<\/a> to better your off road cycling experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How he trains, balancing the nine to five<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With family and job responsibilities it can be hard to get on the track. Simon appreciates his luck, living in the North East he has access to events and a plethora of outdoor routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simons highlights old train tracks and Strava as a great way to find your favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There’s networks of tracks or wagon ways, railway lines. Sometimes I only find them by mistake, or I pick up other people’s rides on Strava, using the heat maps,” Simon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best way for anybody is to train around work, is to utilise the morning. If I had to come home from work, get changed and then go out on my bike afterwards, that would be no good, I’ve got to spend time with my family.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great option is working a cycle into your work commute. An earlier start allows a scenic or longer route to work to get your miles in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon\u2019s top tips<\/strong>:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n